


Fragile

by Kyuubiluver342



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Car Accidents, Major Character Injury
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-18
Updated: 2019-04-18
Packaged: 2020-01-15 19:37:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18505675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kyuubiluver342/pseuds/Kyuubiluver342
Summary: Akira was their leader, he was Joker and he was always in control, but when things start to go wrong, can his usual defenses keep him sane? Or will he need the support of his team to get him through? (Set before Haru joins)





	Fragile

 

“I want to go to the mall.” Futaba said one late Saturday afternoon. 

Sojiro and Akira looked up from where they were making dinner and blinked. Sojiro rubbed his chin and frowned.

“The mall, huh? Well, unfortunately, I can’t take you today or tomorrow with the shop being open.” Sojiro trailed off.

Futaba huffed and puffed out her cheeks. Akira tapped Sojiro on the shoulder and pointed to himself.

“Oh, you want to take her?” Sojiro asked as Akira nodded.

“I guess you guys can make a day trip out of it. At least get you out of my hair for a little while.” he said with a chuckle as Futaba cheered.

“Oh, do you think we can ask Makoto to go with us? Oh and Ann?” Futaba asked as Akira shrugged.

He pulled out his phone and sent a message to the group chat.

Ryuji: The mall? I dunno man, not really a mall guy.

Ann: Oh, that sounds like fun! I am in!

Makoto: I do need a few new shirts. I am in.

Yusuke: I am not sure I will have the money for it.

Ann: Don’t worry, Yusuke! Akira can help you out!

Akira let out a little sigh, but agreed. He did have some money left over from the last Palace. As long as Yusuke didn’t start eying anything too expensive.

Yusuke: I am forever in your debt.

Ryuji: Seriously man, who taught you how to talk?

Ryuji: But if everyone else is going, count me in too!

Futaba smiled as she looked over the group chat, the chat reflecting in her glasses as Akira watched her.

“Looks like you guys are all set.” Sojiro said with a smile.

“Mall day!” Futaba cheered. 

Akira put his phone away as he went back to the dishes.

 

Later that night, Morgana hummed as he looked over the group chat.

“Mall day huh? Sounds like fun! Count me in!” he said, tail wagging.

Akira nodded and leaned back against the wall. He had been to a mall in a while now. It seemed odd that doing something so ordinary seemed almost exciting for him. To just go out with his friends and do something so simple sounded wonderful. As he closed his eyes, a smile crossed his lips and his dreams were pleasant.

 

Akira stood in Cafe LeBlanc the next morning, talking with Sojiro and making sure he had everything for the day. The group had planned on meeting at the Sakura house before going. Sojiro was in the back, preparing for the day when a man entered the cafe.

“Good morning, welcome to Cafe LeBlanc. What can I get you?” Sojiro asked as he came out of the back room.

The man said nothing, instead completely fixated on Akira. Akira stared back, unsure of what to make of him.

“Are you Akira Kurusu?” he demanded.

Akira looked at Sojiro, who frowned and crossed his arms.

“He is. Can we help you with something?” Sojiro demanded back.

“I came to speak to him about something very important.” the man replied.

“Then speak. I am his guardian for right now. Anything you have to say to him you can say to me as well.” Sojiro stated.

“Very well. It has come to our attention that Akira-kun has been behaving himself and keeping out of trouble, but we have some issues with the company he is keeping.” the man stated.

“Wait, are you from the social services agency then?” Sojiro asked.

“The is correct.” he replied.

“Then can I see some documentation? Because you have walked into my shop without identifying yourself and that is highly concerning for me.” Sojiro stated.

“Very well.” he replied.

He pulled out a business card and handed it over. Sojiro took it, but Akira peeked over his arm to look at it. The name “Katsuya Okada” was written across it.

“Ok, Okada-san. What is this all about? You came all the way to my shop on a Sunday to talk with Akira, so spit it out.” Sojiro demanded.

“As I stated before, it has come to our attention that his...acquaintances are not up to the standards that we expected of him when he was put on probation.” he explained.

“And what exactly does that mean? I have met all of them personally and they are all very polite, good kids. I’m not really seeing any issues here.” Sojiro asked.

Odaka pulled out a file and Akira blinked when he saw their pictures inside. He coughed and put on his glasses, starting with the first page.

“Ryuji Sakamoto, former star of the Shujin track team, removed after he shattered his leg and punched the coach in the face. His file is full of late and absent notices by the school. Not exactly a star pupil and certainly not someone Akira-kun should be interacting with.” he started.

Sojiro huffed and tapped his cigarette against the tray.

“Everyone has a rebellious stage. I know that for a fact. Besides, I see Akira and Ryuji studying together, so maybe Akira is trying to get him on the right track. Doesn’t that count for anything?” Sojiro stated.

Akira gave a soft smile and Sojiro nodded back. Odaka just flipped the page.

“Very well then. Next is Ann Takamaki. As far as we know, she was one of the victims of the gym teacher that confessed several months back. It is highly concerning to us that Akira-kun has decided to hang out with her after such a scandal.” he replied.

“So suddenly the state is blaming a young girl for being manipulated by a pervert? Since when is being a victim a strike against you? If anything, Akira is helping her through a rough point in her life.” Sojiro demanded hotly.

“Next is Yusuke Kitagawa, former pupil and adopted son of the famous artist turned art thief, Madarame. We still have no idea how he is connected to the stolen artwork, but someone like that definitely knew more than he is saying.” he continued after turning the page, flat out ignoring Sojiro’s anger.

“He was a child being manipulated by an adult and someone he considered a mentor! Are you just going to keep blaming the victims here? Because once again, it sounds like Akira is simply being a good person to someone who has had their whole life ripped out from under them.” Sojiro snapped.

“Next is Makoto Niijima. Admittedly, we were originally happy to see him move on to better friends, now we do have our concerns about this relationship as well. While she is student council president, she is also connected to Sae Niijima, the prosecutor. If he is attempting to use Makoto-san to get to Sae-san, there will be serious consequences.” Odaka stated.

“Or he could simply be trying to prove he is keeping himself out of trouble! Besides, she is helping him with his studies, shouldn’t you all be happy about that? His grades have never looked better!” Sojiro huffed.

“And lastly we have Futaba Sakura…” Sojiro cut him off immediately.

“Listen, you will leave Futaba out of this. Akira here has done more for her in the past few weeks than anyone else has in months. Not to mention, his friends have also gone out of their way to help Futaba rejoin the real world. So, I am not going to sit here one more moment and listen to you list off all the ways they are wrong.” Sojiro said, pointing his finger in the man’s face.

“Sojiro-san.” Odaka started.

“No, do not even start. Akira has done nothing, but stay on the straight and narrow since he got here. I have kept a close eye on him and he hasn’t so much as sneezed wrong. Now, you want to come in here and act like he’s a horrible person for making friends? I will not just sit here and listen to it. If you are with the services, you have seen my reports and you have seen that Akira has kept out of trouble, behaved himself and even helps out around the store. Now, you are disrupting my cafe and I won’t stand for it. Make sure to see yourself out.” Sojiro stated.

Odaka stood a moment longer before snapping his folder close and putting it away. He turned to Akira and locked eyes with him.

“Understand, Akira-kun, that if we find even a hint that you are not keeping your word, then your probation will be revoked. We have already spoken to your parents and as far as they are concerned, if you so much as step a toe out of line, they will be taking drastic measures.” he explained.

Akira felt his heart stop and his stomach sink. Sojiro pulled back and looked between the two.

“What do you mean by that?” he demanded.

“It means if his probation is revoked, he will no longer be welcome home, ever. As far as they are concerned, they can and will wash their hands of you.” he explained.

Akira’s legs went weak. He placed a hand on the counter and leaned on it, looking away from the man’s cruel eyes as his own watered. His own parents? Wanted nothing to do with him? He let out a breath. Sojiro stared at Akira before looking at Odaka.

“Please leave. You are not welcome here.” he stated.

Odaka huffed and walked out, walking right past Futaba and the others as they walked in. 

“Whoa, rude much.” Ryuji muttered.

When Futaba saw Akira, she looked alarmed. She moved over to his side and placed a hand on his arm as the others crowded inside.

“What happened?” she asked.

“He just got...some very upsetting news.” Sojiro stated as he lit a new cigarette.

He looked tired, like he had gone toe to toe with a bull. He glanced at Akira and sighed, rubbing his eyes. The others looked worried as well. Ann took a step forward and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Maybe you should tell everyone to go ahead.” Sojiro said softly.

Futaba looked at Akira, who just shook his head and gave a small smile. Morgana, who had been quiet the whole time, peeked his head out and rubbed his cheek against Akira’s.

“If you aren’t feeling well, we can go ahead and you can catch up later if you want.” Makoto said softly.

Akira just shook his head and stood up. Futaba wrapped her arms around his and they walked outside. Ryuji and the others went to follow, but Sojiro coughed loudly.

“Just be careful with him today, ok?” he said.

“Him? Don’t you mean Futaba?” Ann asked.

“No, I mean Akira. The man you saw was from social services and quite honestly, he just hit Akira below the belt just now. So, just be careful with him.” Sojiro explained.

Everyone looked at each other and then Akira outside with Futaba. Futaba seemed to be trying to get his attention, but he was staring off into the distance, eyes dark, not paying her any mind. Ryuji let out a huff and then slapped a smile on his face. He walked outside and threw his arm around Akira’s shoulders, talking a mile a minute. Akira blinked at him and then smiled softly.

“Let’s go then.” Makoto decided.

They all walked to the station, deciding to go to a much smaller mall in Shibuya than they originally planned. As they talked, Akira was quiet. Sure, he usually didn’t say much, but he would point out interesting things he saw or make jokes with Ryuji, but instead, he seemed to be in his own little world. Sure, he still spoke to Futaba, just to keep her calm, but he seemed distant. Ann reached out for Morgana at one point and he settled into her arms.

“So what happened?” Ryuji whispered as Futaba and Akira walked ahead.

“The man from social service came to talk to Akira about you guys. He said you all were a bad influence and that Akira shouldn’t have made friends with any of you.” Morgana replied.

“What!” Ryuji yelled.

Akira and Futaba looked back at him, but he quickly waved them off and they went back to what they were doing.

“He thought we were a bad influence? Why is that?” Yusuke asked.

“Because of what happened to you guys. He really didn’t have anything to say about Makoto, but as for the rest of you, he seemed to think you would drag Akira down.” Morgana explained.

“That is quite cruel.” Makoto muttered.

“Part of me wishes I had ducked my shoulder when he brushed past us.” Ryuji growled.

“He also apparently spoke to Akira’s parents.” Morgana said sadly.

“His parents?” Ann parroted.

“As far as I know, Akira hasn’t had any contact with them since he moved out here.” Morgana explained.

“Really? How sad.” Yusuke stated.

Morgana went quiet and then sighed.

“He told Akira that if he was caught doing anything wrong, his parents would disown him.” Morgana muttered.

Ann gasped sharply and Makoto covered her mouth. Ryuji grit his teeth and looked away while Yusuke closed his eyes sadly. The very idea was hard to think about. Technically, they were doing illegal things, but no one knew about it. If they were caught, however…

“So what do we do?” Ryuji asked.

“We keep our heads down and not let any more people know who we are. If we are caught, we have to remember that Akira already has a strike against him and if they find out he is the leader, it could be even worse for him. That goes double for you, Ryuji” Morgana stated calmly as Ryuji scowled and shook his fist.

They continued to walk around the mall. They stopped in a few stores and Ann was quick to load up the boys’ arms with bags of clothes and other cute things. She seemed focused on buying mostly for Futaba though and while Ryuji grumbled and complained loudly, Futaba seemed to be having the time of her life.

As they stopped for food, Yusuke and Akira agreed to wait at the table with the bags while everyone else grabbed something to eat at the food court. With a cough, Yusuke caught Akira’s attention.

“I do not wish to seem like we were talking behind your back, but Morgana told us about what happened.” he stated.

Akira swallowed and looked down. Hands in his pockets, he seemed upset and Yusuke wasn’t sure how to handle it. He let out a breath and straightened his spine.

“A new art exhibit is opening up next week. I am hoping to add a painting of my own to the showing. Would you be interested in helping me find the right inspiration for it?” Yusuke asked.

Akira smiled and nodded. Yusuke went on to list off the different ideas he had, taking the time to explain each one. As Ryuji came over with some food, Yusuke excused himself to grab his own. Ryuji plopped down with a burger and fries before digging in.

“You want a fry?” he asked around a mouthful.

Akira just waved him off and went back to staring blankly. Ryuji frowned and kicked him lightly under the table.

“I found a new gym we could go to! It has a pool and a track around back! Maybe we can get some training in soon.” Ryuji said with a smile.

Ryuji talked on and on about various new training regimens he had looked into. Soon enough, Makoto joined them, but Ryuji had to run off to the bathroom. She idly stirred her soup before speaking.

“There is a new movie I want to see. It’s a sequel to the one we saw a while back. I am not sure if you are interested, but it comes out next weekend and I’d love to have someone to go with.” Makoto stated.

Akira nodded and she excitedly talked about the different actors that were in this one and what plotline she hoped they’d use. Akira seemed to enjoy talking about possible endings with her. As Ann sat down, she excused herself to get more food. Ann hummed in delight as she munched on her sandwich.

“You know, I heard from my company that there might be a new action shoot happening soon. I want to try out for it, but I need someone to come with me. Do you mind?” she asked curiously.

He shrugged and she explained what they had told her she was going to be doing. As she spoke, he leaned back in his chair and watched her. Soon enough, Futaba came bounding over, Morgana under one arm and a huge plate in the other. Ann mentioned something about getting more fries and wandered off. Futaba sat down and Morgana quickly crawled over to Akira to lay in his lap.

“I saw a new anime I want to watch. Will you watch the first episode with me?” she asked as she kicked her feet.

Akira nodded before placing Morgana on his chair and wandering off to get his own food. As soon as he left, everyone came back to the table and sat down.

“Do you think it worked?” Ann whispered.

“He seemed to brighten up when I spoke about the art exhibit.” Yusuke said simply.

“He looked bored to tears if you asked me.” Ryuji replied.

“Hopefully this will keep his mind off it for a little while.” Morgana muttered.

Akira came back over a little while later and they all started chatting. Yusuke and Futaba started to argue about something Akira didn’t catch while Makoto scolded Ryuji for not studying for his last test as he made excuses as to why he didn’t. Ann just seemed to be enjoying his misery. As Akira popped a fry into his mouth, he heard someone call his name and looked up. A young woman came over, her hair done up in a high ponytail.

“Akira-kun, is that really you?” she asked startled.

He blinked and stood up. Ryuji peeked around him and stared.

“You didn’t tell us you knew such a cute girl! You were holding out on me.” Ryuji hissed.

“God, it’s been a while, hasn’t it?” she asked and Akira shrugged.

Makoto, sensing the growing tension, was quick to jump in.

“I’m Makoto Niijima, it’s nice to meet you, miss?” she said sweetly.

“Ah, the name’s Anko. I’m...well I was an old neighbor of Akira-kun’s here.” she said flippedly.

“Oh, that’s nice.” Makoto said weakly.

“Yeah, I mean, I wasn’t really sure it was you at first. Last I heard, you got sent away.” she stated, eying Akira as if he was diseased.

“Yeah, well, he’s doing great at his new school, thanks for asking.” Ann stated rudely.

“I didn’t mean anything by it. I was just saying that I expected them to send him farther away or something.” she said.

“But they didn’t. So, I guess your question was answered.” Ryuji said annoyed.

“Miss, I apologize, but you seem to be upsetting our friend. Can you please move along?” Yusuke asked.

“Hey! I’m not doing anything!” she snapped.

“Except you clearly came over here to make him uncomfortable. I can see your friends giggling behind your back from here. So buzz off.” Makoto stated coldly.

Anko huffed and stormed off as Akira sighed and sat back down. His somewhat good mood had been ruined once again. Futaba glared at the girls back before turning back to her phone. She seemed to be typing rather quickly before snickering. Just as Anko sat down in her chair, her phone started to go off.

“Hey, what gives!” she yelled staring at her phone in horror.

Everyone immediately turned to Futaba.

“What did you do?” Makoto asked.

“I reset her phone. She just lost everything.” Futaba said evilly.

Ann smirked and high fived her under the table. Akira just sighed and shook his head as Anko started to cry loudly at the other table. They gathered their stuff and left quickly, not wanting to be dragged into the scene. They continued to wander around for a while more, stopping at a sporting store so Ryuji could get some clothes and an art store that Yusuke had to be dragged out of, less he sell his soul for some high class paints. 

As they walked by a gaming store, Futaba was quick to grab Akira’s hand and drag him inside. Akira blinked, but followed her lead.

“Uh, Futaba?” Ann asked.

“Look.” she said pointing to a poster on the wall.

Akira looked up and blinked. It took him a moment to understand what he was staring at, but when he did, he blinked.

“Whoa, what a minute! Is that us?” Ryuji said excitedly.

Sure it was some rip off game and it looks nothing like any of them, but the name “Phantom Thieves Of Hearts” was in big block letters across the poster. Of course, it literally depicted men in ninja/thief like uniforms standing on a rooftop rather than their cool persona outfits.

“We have a mobile game?” Makoto asked, wide eyed.

“I heard about it a few days ago. They just announced it at Gaming Central yesterday.” Futaba explained.

“So that’s why you wanted to come to the mall!” Yusuke said simply.

“Of course.” she said as if he was stupid.

Yusuke just huffed, Ryuji was grinning like mad and Ann looked rather pleased herself. Akira eyed the poster and though it was a little silly, he did feel strange knowing that they now had a mobile game out as well. They wandered around the gaming store a little, stopping Ryuji from buying a bunch of random games before they left.

“Well, that was certainly something.” Makoto muttered.

Akira was getting the feeling she was completely overwhelmed by all the games Futaba had told them about. He pat her on the shoulder sympathetically and she smiled at him. As they walked towards the station, Ryuji complained that he was still hungry and Ann agreed. Yusuke suggested a very high class restaurant that was nearby and Makoto was trying to explain to him why that was a bad idea. Futaba was just hanging off of Akira’s arm, playing on her phone.

“But it really is good though.” Yusuke piped up.

“Yeah man, and completely out of our price range, especially after today. Oh, what about ramen?” Ryuji said licking his lips.

“Ugh, ramen again? Even I can’t eat it that often.” Ann said wiggling her nose.

“Are we sure we should spend more money? We just spent a lot. Maybe we should all just head home.” Makoto suggested.

Ryuji was about to answer when there was a screeching of tires.

“The hell was that?” Ryuji asked.

“Watch out!” Makoto screamed.

Akira looked up and saw the truck coming towards them. There was no time. He shoved Morgana’s bag into Futaba’s arms and shoved her out of the way, watching her struggle to keep her footing and hold onto Morgana’s bag at the same time. Everyone else jumped out of themselves, but he didn’t have the chance. The last thing Akira heard was Futaba screaming.

 

Ryuji could only stare at the spot where Akira had once stood. The dust was settling and nearby, he could hear Ann coughing, but he couldn’t think about anything else, except that Akira was no longer standing where he once had been. Now a truck sat there, its hood smoking. He looked down and saw that Akira was under the damn thing and then he heard screaming. He looked over and saw Futaba screaming, screaming so loud it broke through his haze.

“SHIT!” he yelled, throwing himself forward.

He saw Akira move, saw his legs start to twitch and saw that, while he was under the damn thing, it wasn’t actually laying on top of him. There was space between Akira and the truck to get him out. He saw Yusuke, sitting there, Makoto laying across his lap.

“Don’t just sit there, idiot! Help me!” Ryuji screamed.

He grabbed one of Akira’s legs and thank god, he felt it twitch. That meant he was still alive, right? He almost wept, but there was no time.

“Yusuke! Help me!” he screamed.

He saw a flash of blue and Yusuke was there, grabbing Akira’s other leg and together, they dragged him out from under the wreckage. Akira groaned softly, his clothes ripped and blood stained his pants, but he was alive. Ryuji and Yusuke pulled him as far as they could before they stopped. Slowly they laid him down, just as Makoto came over and threw herself on the ground next to him. Head against his chest, she nodded.

“He’s breathing, that’s good. Ann, give me you sweater.” Makoto took charge and Ann untied it from her waist before putting her arms around Futaba, who was still screaming her throat raw.

Ryuji saw people start to gather around them, people yelling and screaming, but everything was mumbled, like he was hearing it underwater. Looking around, he saw the bags of clothes that they had just been carrying around. Had that really been only a few minutes ago? It seemed like a lifetime.

“Ryuji! Get ahold of yourself!” Makoto demanded.

He looked at her, eyes wide as she cradled Akira’s head. God, she had Ann’s sweater pressed against a wound on his side. He knelt down and stared at him before looking at her.

“There is some water in my bag. I need you to get that.” she said softly.

He nodded and bolted for her bag, laying on the concrete nearby. He dug through it, not really caring about privacy right now. He pulled out the bottle and raced back over to her, dropping to his knees. She gently removed the sweater and Akira groaned. Groaning was good, groaning meant he was still alive, yet all Ryuji could stare at was the large slice now across his side. It was bleeding so much.

“Ryuji, focus! I need you to clean the wound!” Makoto demanded.

He nodded and with shaking hands, he took the sweater, poured some water on the sleeve and started to clean the wound. Getting rid of all the dirt and debris just made it look worse and he looked at her.

“Keep going. We need to make sure it doesn’t get infected before the ambulance gets here. HAS ANYONE CALLED 911!” she screamed.

Ryuji saw a few people on their phones and someone yelled back that they were on their way. Ryuji nodded, with a timeline in mind, he kept pressure on as he cleaned the wound. He glanced up to see Futaba hysterically sobbing, clinging to Ann and Morgana while Yusuke went back to the truck. He seemed to be struggling with something before he fell on his ass. Walking back over, he held up Akira’s damaged glasses for Ryuji to look at.

“He seemed so naked without them.” Yusuke muttered, clearly in shock.

“Thank you, Yusuke. I am sure he will appreciate them, but can you grab your cell phone and try to see if you can call Boss?” Makoto stressed.

Yusuke stared at her before pulling his phone out. He wandered over to where Ann and Futaba were standing and made the call. Ryuji looked up as he heard the sirens just as Yusuke pressed dial.

“Hello, Boss? It’s Yusuke. There’s been an accident.” Yusuke stated.

 

Makoto leaned her head back against the wall and sighed. Glancing at her hands, she tried and failed to stop the shaking. It was no use. Nearby, she heard Ryuji muttering something about his bandages being too tight on his hands and Ann scolding him for picking at them. Apparently they had been cut up rather badly after the fall and from pulling Akira from under the truck. Other than that, the hospital hallway was strangely quiet. Makoto could almost pretend they were just sitting somewhere else, hanging out if it weren’t for the smell of disinfectant. 

“Futaba!” the name made her physically jump, so startled by the sudden noise.

Makoto watched as Boss came running around the corner, two angry nurses following him. Futaba, who had gone into shock some time ago, suddenly stood up and let herself be wrapped in his arms. Her shoulders started to shake and Makoto just sighed. Sojiro rubbed her back, gently trying to get her to calm down. The two nurses soon left in a huff and they were alone.

“What happened?” Sojiro asked.

He was pale, the hat on his head slightly askew and his shirt wasn’t buttoned properly. Makoto resisted the urge to fix it. Instead, she started to pick at the dirt under her nails, at least she hoped it was dirt and not dried blood. She shook that thought from her head.

“There was a truck.” Futaba muttered, her voice muffled.

“A truck?” he parroted confused.

“It hopped the curb from what they told us so far.” Makoto explain gently.

Sojiro swallowed and slowly sat down, pulling Futaba down with him so she could sit next to him. He still had an arm around her shoulders.

“And Akira?” he asked.

“He pushed me out of the way.” Futaba said sobbing.

“The truck would have hit me! It should have hit me!” she continued.

“That’s bullshit and you know it!” Ryuji hissed.

“Ryuji!” Ann snapped.

“No, Akira never would have let you get hit by that truck! So don’t you dare think like that!” Ryuji demanded.

“He’s right, Futaba.” Morgana mewed.

Futaba hiccuped and buried her face in Sojiro’s side, her sobs soft. Sojiro just looked down as he rubbed her shoulder.

“Did you...get any news yet?” he asked.

“No, nothing.” Yusuke spoke for the first time.

Makoto glanced his way. He had been oddly quiet, staring blankly at the ceiling, all while drawing in his sketchbook. As far as Makoto could see, he was just tracing the same circle over and over again. She was pretty sure his pen was going to go right through the page at any point.

“I see. Have the police come talk to any of you?” Sojiro asked.

“Not yet. I saw the car pull up when we got here.” Makoto stated.

“Makoto!” another sudden shout made them all jump.

Makoto looked up to see Sae and Akechi coming their way. Ryuji grumbled something under his breath, but Makoto just got up and hugged her sister. For the first time, her shaking stopped. Sae hugged her back and pet her hair. Sae locked eyes with Sojiro, who huffed, but said nothing.

“What happened, Makoto?” Sae demanded.

“We were walking to the train station. The truck hopped the curb.” she said pulling back.

There was something so comforting about having her sister here. Like she could finally let go of control and let Sae handle it. Sae crossed her arms and looked around.

“Let’s start from the top. Where were you all when this happened?” Sae asked, but Akechi placed a hand on her shoulder.

“If I may, Sae-san, maybe it’s best to give them some time. It looks like many of them are still in shock.” he said eying Yusuke.

“I see…” Sae trailed off.

“We were in front of the mall.” Yusuke stated.

Everyone turned to him. He had stopped tracing and was staring Akechi down.

“We had just left and were deciding on whether or not to catch the train or stop and get some more food. Ryuji was complaining that he was hungry.” Yusuke continued.

“I was trying to get everyone to go to this lovely little restaurant a few blocks down.” he stated.

“Which was probably more expensive than it needs to be.” Ryuji cut in.

“Ryuji wished to get ramen, which I was also fine with, but then we heard tires screeching. Makoto was the one who noticed the truck.” Yusuke finished, looking at Ryuji boredly.

Makoto nodded slowly as she tucked some hair behind her ear.

“I turned to the sound and saw the truck coming. I jumped out of the way instinctually.” she stated.

“But Akira didn’t.” Ann muttered.

“He didn’t?” Akechi asked startled.

“He chose to push Futaba to safety.” Yusuke stated.

Futaba let out a hiccup and Akechi frowned. Just then, the doors to Akira’s room opened. Everyone looked up as the doctor walked over. He looked grim and Makoto felt her heart drop. Sojiro slowly stood up, but Futaba clung to his shirt.

“I’m Sojiro Sakura, his legal guardian. Is Akira ok?” he asked softly.

The doctor sighed deeply. He seemed tired.

“He sustained a rather large wound to his side, not to mention the possible head trauma he received after hitting the ground and possibly from the truck. As of right now, we need to send him for a CAT scan to see if there is any bleeding on the brain. Do we have your permission?” he asked.

“Please, do what you have to.” Sojiro said with a nod.

The doctor agreed and they were all left sitting there. Makoto felt strangely drained, like she had been running around Mementos all day or something. She looked up at Sae, wondering what their next move would be.

“We need to get your victim statements.” Sae stated calmly and Ann just buried her face in her hands.

“Does it have to be right now?” Ryuji asked as he rubbed Ann’s back, her shoulders shaking.

“It can hold off for right now.” Akechi said calmly.

“What if he doesn’t make it?” Yusuke asked.

“Don’t you fucking say shit like that, Yusuke!” Ryuji snarled.

“But it’s a very important question. The driver, have they been charged yet?” Yusuke asked.

Sae and Akechi glanced at each other and Makoto felt cold.

“The driver died at the scene.” Sae said after a moment’s hesitation.

Makoto just stared at her, eyes wide before she looked at the floor. Futaba hiccuped and Ryuji scowled, clenching his fists before slamming one into the wall behind him.

“How did he…?” Makoto stopped.

“Apparently, a self inflicted gunshot wound.” Sae muttered.

“Gunshot? So he didn’t even die in the accident?” Ryuji demanded.

“No, it seems he shot himself, but didn’t put his truck in park. When his body slumped over, he hit the gas and that caused the accident.” Akechi explained.

Makoto covered her mouth and tried not to be sick. All of this, all of this happened because of something as stupid as that?

“The driver had been depressed for several months now. His family was on the lookout in case something happened, but I suppose they didn’t expect this.” Sae stated.

“Akira could die because of some jackass’ mistake?” Ann asked angrily.

The door opened just then and they all stood up as Akira was wheeled quickly out of the room. He had all kinds of wires attached to him and the sight of him almost made Makoto weep. Was this really their fearless leader? The one who led them in battle and helped them all get past their own traumas? She couldn’t help but think he looked...

“He looks so small.” Morgana said softly as Akira disappeared around a corner and out of their sight. 

“Perhaps it is best if you all head home. It will most likely be several hours until you are about to see him.” Akechi stated.

Sojiro sighed loudly and rubbed his forehead.

“I’m not sure...I can be alone right now.” Ann said slowly.

“Your parents are travelling?” Yusuke asked and she nodded.

“Mom’s not home either. She’s working a double.” Ryuji muttered.

“You all are welcome at LeBlanc.” Sojiro stated, though he eyed Sae and Akechi.

“We will most likely have to stay here, so maybe it is best you all go to the cafe.” Sae explained and Makoto nodded.

Morgana hopped into Ann’s arms and they all walked out of the hospital. The ride to the cafe was quiet and even when they got there, they sat at a table without speaking.

“Let me get you kids something to eat.” Sojiro muttered.

He disappeared into the back and Ryuji spoke for the first time. The tone his voice had was odd.

“Do you guys think it was suicide?” he asked.

“What do you mean?” Ann asked.

“Well, it could be suicide or…” he stopped and they looked at each other.

Makoto didn’t even want to think about it, but he was right. This could have been a case of mental shutdown and they were just assuming it was suicide. Makoto rubbed her eyes and leaned back in the booth. She wanted to go home and sleep, curl up in her bed and never wake up again. The idea that Akira could...she let out a sob. Ann wrapped her arms around her and Makoto broke down.

 

Yusuke stared blankly at the grain on the table, Makoto’s soft sobbing and Ann’s gentle words the only thing he could focus on. Everything was coming down around his head and he resisted the urge to grab a pencil and just start drawing whatever came to mind. As much as he wanted to, he couldn’t just disappear into his own thoughts right now. His friends needed him.

“Yusuke? You ok?” Ryuji asked.

Yusuke looked up and locked eyes with Ryuji. How odd. As a child, he never would have assumed he would be friends with a rude, vulgar boy like Ryuji, yet Yusuke couldn’t have been more thankful he was there. Like a stable building in a storm, Yusuke found him comforting.

“I am not...sure.” he admitted and Ryuji nodded.

“Akira will be fine. He’ll come out of this and we’ll be laughing about this in a few days, you’ll see.” Ryuji said.

He didn’t sound very convincing, but wasn’t a gentle lie better than the cold truth? Yusuke liked to think so and so he chose to believe him.

“Thank you.” Yusuke said and Ryuji flashed him a smile.

Morgana hopped up on the table then and sat there, staring blankly as he looked around. He seemed to be looking for something.

“What’s up, Morgana?” Ryuji asked as Makoto lifted her head and sniffled a bit, rubbing her eyes.

Morgana just shook his head and stayed quiet. Just then, Sojiro came over.

“Please get the cat off the table. I have customers who eat on this table, you know.” he said as Futaba gently reached out and pulled Morgana off the table. 

He set down some plates of curry and though Yusuke wasn’t really hungry, he ate it anyway. It tasted bland on his tongue and he saw the others only vaguely picking at it. Well, everyone, but Ryuji, who slammed it like it was the last food on Earth. His manners left a lot to be desired. As they all finished, the phone rang and everyone stared, unable to think past that it must be about Akira. Sojiro grabbed it and answered.

“Hello, Cafe LeBlanc.” Sojiro was quiet for the longest time before he nodded.

“Thank you.” his voice shook as he hung up the phone.

“Sojiro?” Futaba whispered.

Sojiro said nothing.

“Sojiro!” Futaba whispered harshly.

“Boss, please.” Ann begged, her eyes watering.

“They had to take him into emergency surgery. They were calling to let me know that he just got out.” he stated.

Yusuke let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. Emergency surgery was nothing to scoff at, but if he made it out, that meant he had made it over the hill. Sure, he probably still had a long way to go, but this at least calmed their fears for the moment. He looked at Ann and gave a small smile.

 

Ann smiled back at Yusuke, though she felt like crying. How had this all gone so wrong? How had this day at the mall ended with them sitting in Cafe LeBlanc, just waiting to hear if Akira made it out of surgery or not? A part of her was angry, so very angry, that someone else’s decisions could possibly ruin Akira’s life. Another part of her wished that she had been fast enough, smart enough to drag him out of the way with her. Her eyes slide over to Futaba and she frowned.

Akira had saved Futaba’s life. If he hadn’t pushed her out of the way, it would be Futaba who was in the hospital, Futaba who they were praying for. Yet, either way, she couldn’t help, but feel like they got the short end of the stick. She looked down at her hands before leaning back in her seat. No, she refused to sit here and weep. Akira needed them, needed her and she was not about to let him down.

“You are all welcome to stay the night. I can bring some blankets and things if you want.” Sojiro stated and they all agreed.

Sojiro and Futaba left to get some pillows and blankets from their house. After they were gone, Ryuji leaned in.

“So what’s our next move?” he asked.

“Move?” Yusuke parrotted.

“Yeah, man! You can’t tell me this isn’t suspicious to you!” Ryuji demanded.

Was Ryuji right? Was this suspicious?

“But, he’s dead. We can’t do anything to someone who is dead.” Morgana muttered.

Ryuji seemed to deflate a bit. Ann sighed and rubbed her eyes. In the long run of things, there wasn’t anything they could do, except wait. Sojiro and Futaba returned with their pillows and blankets and they all moved upstairs to sleep in Akira’s room. Ann let Futaba have the sofa as they all set up their individual spots. Morgana just curled up on Akira’s pillow and sighed. That night, no one slept.

 

The next morning, Sojiro walked upstairs and found several pairs of tired looking eyes staring back at him.

“I see no one here got any sleep either, huh?” he sighed.

“Have you heard anything?” Ryuji asked.

“I got a call a few minutes ago. They kept him overnight and they were keeping a close eye on him. They said we can go see him, but he most likely won’t be awake for a few hours, maybe even a few days. I have to go over to the school and let them know what happened.” Sojiro explained.

“Do you want us to go over first?” Makoto asked.

“If you could. I also have to reach out to social services.” Sojiro said with annoyance.

Futaba stood up and walked out, making everyone pause and look at each other.

“Are we going?” she called from the bottom of the stairs. 

Ryuji sighed and rubbed the back of his neck before standing. Ann slowly and carefully put Morgana in her bag before they all left the cafe. When they got there, they were told only one person at a time could see him since he was still unconscious and in such critical condition. It was decided Ryuji would go first.

 

Ryuji stepped into the room and had to swallow his tears. Akira looked so small and weak on the bed, especially with all the machines attached to him. Ryuji slowly made it over to the beside and sat down. He looked Akira over before running a hand through his hair.

“You gotta wake up, man. The team is already falling apart without you around.” Ryuji stated.

Nothing, Akira didn’t even twitch and Ryuji let out a breath. He grit his teeth and got up, starting to pace.

“This fucking sucks, man. It god damn blows! How did this even happen?” Ryuji asked.

Akira didn’t reply and Ryuji looked away. There were so many things he wanted to say, wanted to do, but none of them could help Akira now. Ryuji sat back down and rubbed his face.

“You were the first person in a long time to believe I wasn’t the troublemaker everyone thought I was. You are my friend and I don’t know if I can do this without you. The Phantom Thieves are all I got and if that falls apart, I don’t know what I am going to do. Please don’t go.” Ryuji begged.

Again, there was nothing and Ryuji walked out soon afterwards. Ann slowly entered the room and looked at him. Her eyes watered and she sat on the chair Ryuji had occupied. She held his hand and gently squeezed.

“Ryuji is really broken up about this. I am too. I think we all are.” she trailed off and rubbed her eyes.

“You have to hold on. Please, for all of us. I know it probably hurts, but you’re our leader. We can’t do this without Joker. Where would we be without you?” she smiled before it faded.

“I know I would be in the same place Shiho is. Kamoshida wouldn’t have stopped until he got what he wanted from me. And honestly, I don’t know how much longer I could have held him off. You saved me and that is something I will never forget. So please come back so you can save more people.” she begged.

There was no reaction and Ann got up with a sob before leaving. Yusuke stepped into the room and paused at the door. He didn’t seem to want to get any closer, but he swallowed his pain and moved next to the bed.

“I wish I had more to say in this trying time, but I do hope you will come back to us. I found your presence increasingly comforting, especially when I am looking for more inspiration for my art.” Yusuke explained.

There was no response and Yusuke felt a little out of his depth. He sat down and rubbed his forehead.

“Please do not leave us. I am not quite sure what will happen if you do. Though I am sure the Phantom Thieves won’t survive without you.” Yusuke continued.

“The first time we met, I was so focused on making the next great masterpiece, I was blind to what was going on around me. You opened my eyes, made me realize what was happening was wrong, especially what he was doing to me. If it weren’t for you all, I would still be trapped in that shack and if it weren’t for you specifically, I feel as though I would have given up on being an artist. So, please come back to us. I still have so much art I want to show you.” he said softly.

Yusuke waited a moment, hoping his heartfelt words had caused a reaction. There was nothing. Yusuke sighed deeply and stood up before walking out. Makoto stood in the doorway, staring for the longest time before slowly closing the door behind her. She didn’t dare go any closer.

“I’m not sure what to say. This seems so odd since you can’t reply.” Makoto said rubbing her arm.

“I’m sure everyone else already said everything. I’m not even sure why I am in here.” Makoto tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and paused.

“When you first came to our school, I was warned to keep a close eye on you, especially when you started hanging out with Ryuji. They told me you were nothing, but trouble and that if I were smart, I would try to get you out of our school as quickly as possible.” she slowly made her way over and sat down.

“There was a part of me that wanted you out of our school, especially when everything about Mr. Kamoshida came out. I thought if I could find out who the Phantom Thieves were and expose them, we could all get this settled and the school would go back to the way it was. And then everything happened with Kaneshiro and I felt truly lost.” she paused.

“You saved me though. I ran into a situation headfirst without realizing how much danger I put myself or others in. That man could have done anything he wanted with me and I wouldn’t have been able to stop him, but you helped me stop him. You helped me change and grow and I want to keep changing and growing. I want to be better than I was before and you are helping me do that. So, please don’t die.” Makoto finished.

She stood up and walked out, not waiting to see if he reacted or not. She held the door open and Morgana stepped in. He waited until the door was closed behind him before hopping up on the bed. He was carefully not to touch anything, instead he just stared.

“This is it, huh? This is how far you can make it?” he asked.

Morgana just stared, eyes searching for anything, any sign that he was conscious and could hear him. He didn’t see anything.

“I’m not sure what to say. I thought you were better than this, but I guess this is the end of the line.” Morgana stated.

“I thought you said you would help me become human? Isn’t that what we agreed on? Some deal this turned out to be.” Morgana said angrily, his tail waving with his aggravation.

“You are all I have in this world. You are the only one who can help me get back to normal, to return to being human. I refuse to let you die like this, so get up and let’s go!” Morgana got to his feet and hissed.

Akira did nothing, no reaction whatsoever and Morgana slumped. He dropped to the floor and walked towards the door. The door opened and let Morgana out, but then stopped. Futaba finally stuck her head in and stared before pulling back. There was a moment before she stepped into the room and closed the door behind her. She crawled into the chair and sat there, not moving, not saying anything before she looked away. She pulled out her phone and started to type.

Futaba: Please get up.

Futaba: Don’t leave me like Mom did.

Her eyes watered and she rubbed them with her fists before looking at him again.

Futaba: You helped me so much, you changed my heart. 

Futaba: Please don’t leave me now.

She paused and placed her phone on the bed before taking his hand in her’s. 

“When I first started listening in on you guys, I thought it was all a joke. Phantom Thieves? Stealing hearts? Sounded like a lame RPG to me, but then people actually did start changing and I was so desperate for help that I couldn’t think straight. I felt like I was on my last life facing the final boss.” she paused and sniffled.

“You’ve done so much for me. So much for all of us. You can’t leave now. Not when you are so close! So don’t quit or die on me, ok?” she begged.

She squeezed his hand before getting up. Just as she was about to let go, she felt a faint squeeze back. She froze and turned to him. His eyes were open just a slit and he squeezed her hand a little harder.

“Akira!” she cried.

There was a loud bang as the others came stumbling in, concerned about her sudden cry.

“Is he ok? What happened?” Ryuji yelled.

“He’s awake!” she replied.

“WHAT!” the group yelled.

The crowded around the bed and they all saw his eyes were open.

“Please, do it again.” Futaba begged.

There was a pause and then they saw his hand squeeze her’s again. The cry that suddenly happened from them all was one of relief, of joy and of hope. Immediately, a crowd of nurses came in and started to usher them out. As Futaba was rushed out of the room, she felt one last squeeze before her hand slipped from his and she smiled.

 

The group sat in the waiting room, just waiting to hear any news on Akira. Sojiro had joined them a little while ago and he seemed amazed by what they had told him.

“Just goes to show that he really is a fighter, huh?” Sojiro said with a smile.

And so here they sat, waiting, hoping that Akira would be fine. Hoping that at any moment, the doctors would come out and say he would make a full recovery. As the doctor approached the room, the group stood up, staring.

“Akira Kurusu?” he asked and Sojiro moved forward.

“I’m his guardian, how is he?” Sojiro asked.

“To be quite honest with you, I was expecting a lot worse. However, so far, he has made amazing progress. I can see him making a full recovery, but he will still need intensive care for the next few days until we are sure he is out of the danger zone.” the doctor explained.

Makoto and Ann hugged with a cry of joy while Ryuji let out a whoop of joy. Yusuke just smiled as Futaba latched onto Morgana and did a little dance. They joy they felt was undeniable and as Sojiro watched them, he could only pray it would stay this way.

 

Ryuji hummed loudly, tongue sticking out ever so slightly. His forehead was covered in sweat and he looked like he was concentrating really hard.

“Got any...twos?” he finally asked.

Akira just smiled as he shook his head and Ryuji whined loudly as he pulled a card from the pile. Yusuke just chuckled, eying his own cards before turning to Ryuji.

“Got any twos, Ryuji?” Yusuke asked.

“You bastard!” Ryuji yelled pointing at him.

“Ryuji please, we are going to get thrown out again if you keep yelling.” Makoto demanded as she looked up from her homework.

“Ah, right, sorry.” he said rubbing the back of his neck.

Ann sighed as she lowered her magazine. Futaba snickered and Ryuji threw a glare her way, but she just hid behind her phone. Just then, there was a knock and the door opened.

“Akira-kun, it’s time for your medicine.” the nurse said sweetly.

He smiled and put his cards down as he took the pills. They tasted awful and he made a face that Ryuji laughed at as the nurse started to leave.

“Remember, visiting hours are almost over. If you all try to stay past them again, we will have to throw you out.” she said sweetly before leaving.

“We only got thrown out last time because Ryuji is a sore lower.” Futaba muttered from her place in the chair next to Akira’s bed.

“Hey! I know for a fact you cheated, so shut up!” Ryuji snapped.

“And yet, you are still losing at Go Fish.” Morgana muttered from his place against Akira’s side.

Akira just smiled and leaned back in his bed. The doctors expected him to make a full recovery, but for right now, he was on bedrest for the next few days. The gang had promised to come see him every day and so far they had for the past two weeks. He didn’t actually remember a lot of what happened, just vague images and blurry faces, but he did know that this had started a new chapter in his life. As Morgana and Ryuji bickered between themselves, Akira’s eyes started to droop shut and Futaba smiled as she took his cards.

“Good night, Akira. See you tomorrow.” she said as he drifted away.


End file.
